Social Justice Studies
ApplyReflect, Imagine, Develop, and Act
The Social Justice Studies program is designed for students who are curious about activism in political, social and economic spheres.
Our program provides students with an opportunity to engage in collective actions to address social problems within their own communities. This means that students gather firsthand experience as activists through both on and off campus collaborative organizing.
Students in the SJS program engage in their learning process as a whole human who brings with them their own community histories, identity, and consciousness.
- Reflect on their community history and their position they have been placed in American society and global systems of inequalities.
- Imagine what a just world will look like.
- Develop their vision and blueprint of actions for change.
- Act on their growing awareness to help shape society into what they collectively imagine.
Career Outlook
Social Justice Studies encourages students to challenge these structures of oppression through the study and application of political organizing. Through hands-on engagement with the art and mechanics of various forms of political organizing, from consciousness building to direct action, students learn how the histories of social movements inform their place in current struggles for justice.
Looking for a list of classes offered this semester?
Check out the current class schedule.All Courses
SJS 110 Introduction to Social Justice Studies (3 units)
An interdisciplinary study of race and ethnicity, and its intersections with gender and class in the United States. Examines social justice movements in relation to ethnic and racial groups in the United States to provide a basis for a better understanding of the socio-economic, cultural and political conditions among key social groups.
SJS 130 Introduction to LGBTQ Studies (3 units)
Introduction to key themes and critical frameworks in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer (LGBTQ) Studies. Topics include histories of sexuality; forms of oppression including heterosexism, homophobia, and transphobia; resistance to oppression; violence against LGBTQ people; queer activism; diverse experiences of sexuality; and representations in literature, art, and popular media.
SJS 140 Hip Hop Culture and Politics (3 units)
Exploration of the history, aesthetics, and mechanics of Hip Hop culture analyzed from a social, economic, and political perspective. Examines Hip Hop music and culture in its relationship to a variety of political issues and social justice movements. Analyzes how these movements help shape and inform Hip Hop culture in the forms of music, fashion, language, film, lifestyles, and media.
| Program | Type | Total Units |
|---|---|---|
| Social Justice Studies for Transfer | AA-T | 60 Units |
Social Justice Studies urges students to challenge structures of oppression through the study and application of political organizing. Majoring in Social Justice Studies is a great preparation for upper-division level studies in Ethnic Studies, Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Labor Studies, and Resistance Studies. Through hands-on engagement with the art and mechanics of various forms of political organizing, from consciousness building to direct action, students who major in Social Justice Studies can seek career in community organizing, journalism, law, labor organizing, NPOs, public policies, and lobbyin, among other fields.
There are no classes offered during this semester.
Social Justice Studies Faculty
